Precipitation chemistry at a high elevation forest in central Taiwan
Resource
JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH, 16(6), 438-445
Journal
Journal of Forest Research
Pages
438-445
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Ding, Shih-Bin
Lin, Teng-Chiu
Chan, Shih-Chien
Huang, Jeen-Liang
Lin, Neng-Hui
Abstract
High elevation ecosystems are particularly sensitive to environmental change. Mountain agriculture is extending to areas at high elevations in Taiwan but the effects on nutrient cycling of the surrounding ecosystems are largely unknown. We examined precipitation chemistry at Piluchi Experimental Forest in central Taiwan to evaluate the contributions of local air pollution and long-range transport of air pollutants on nutrient cycling at this seemingly remote forest. Sea-salt aerosols and anthropogenic pollutants resulting from long-range transport of air pollutants and mountain agriculture activities are the key factors affecting precipitation chemistry at Piluchi Experimental Forest. Precipitation chemistry was dominated by ions of oceanic origin in the summer and by anthropogenic pollutants SO42-, NO3- and NH4+ in the winter and spring, the northeast monsoon season. The much higher concentrations of S and N in the northeast monsoon season than the summer suggest a substantial contribution from long-range transport as the prevailing air masses moved from inland China and passed over the industrialized east coast of China before arriving in Taiwan. The very high concentration of NH4+ (22 μeq L-1) in the spring, when the local application of N-containing fertilizers was high, signifies the influences of mountain agriculture. Despite very low concentrations relative to other sites in Taiwan, annual input of NH4+ (3.6 kg ha-1 year-1), NO3- (7.2 kg ha-1 year-1) and SO42- (10 kg ha-1 year-1) via precipitation was substantial suggesting that high elevation ecosystems of Taiwan are not free from the threat of atmospheric deposition of pollutants. © 2010 The Japanese Forest Society and Springer.
Subjects
High elevation agriculture; Long-range transport; Monsoon season; Nitrogen fertilizer; Precipitation chemistry
Other Subjects
Air mass; Air pollutants; Anthropogenic pollutants; Atmospheric depositions; B-y Ions; East coast; Environmental change; High concentration; High elevation; Key factors; Long range transport; Low concentrations; Monsoon season; Northeast monsoon; Nutrient cycling; Precipitation chemistry; Sea salt aerosol; Atmospheric movements; Atmospheric thermodynamics; Ecosystems; Forestry; Landforms; Meteorological problems; Nitrogen fertilizers; Nutrients; Air pollution; aerosol; agricultural practice; air mass; anthropogenic source; atmospheric deposition; atmospheric pollution; coastal zone; elevation; environmental change; fertilizer application; industrialization; long range transport; monsoon; montane forest; nitrogen; nutrient cycling; precipitation (chemistry); sea salt; sulfur; Agriculture; Air Pollution; Climates; Fertilizers; Forestry; Meteorology; Nitrogen; Nutrients; Precipitation; Thermodynamics; Transport; China; Taiwan
Type
journal article
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